Helping purpose-driven organizations build trust; founder of @PrescientComms. Formerly @Edelman, @WeberShandwick, @Deloitte
Seattle, WA
Joined July 2010
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People haven't "lost" trust. They've learned to trust more carefully.
In a world of AI-generated content, skepticism is a rational response.
The communicators who succeed will earn trust through transparency, consistency, and proof.
adweek.com/agencies/over-two…
Behavioral science teaches us that humans rarely choose the "best" information. We choose the easiest information.
And when people feel overwhelmed, they give in to consumable content and simplistic ideas.
Focus less on quantity and more on simplicity.
niemanlab.org/2026/05/you-co…
We don't experience brands as channels. We experience them as relationships.
And when we receive one experience on social and another with customer service, the relationship feels transactional.
It's time we focus less on content and more on continuity.
forbes.com/sites/insights-ac…
We assume technology will replace humans. More often, it simply changes what humans are valued for.
Calculators didn't eliminate mathematicians. AI won't eliminate communicators. It will just reduce the value of generic, disposable content.
axios.com/2026/05/15/human-v…
With the rise of the outrage economy, we often mistake the loudest voices for the majority.
The most trusted brands aren’t the loudest or quietest. They’re the most consistent.
As communicators, we need decision frameworks rooted in mission, not panic.
prdaily.com/prs-quiet-shift-…
In today's attention economy, our instinct is to never stop talking.
As communications leaders, the question we should be asking isn't, "What should we say next?"
But, "What's worth saying, and why?"
thedrum.com/news/refinery29-…
Uncertainty is exhausting. Our brains crave emotional closure.
That's why oversimplified, fear-based narratives spread faster than nuanced ones.
As communicators, we need to help people think, not just react.
theguardian.com/books/2026/a…
Audiences don't ask, "Was this made by AI?"
They ask, "Is this worth my attention?"
And the best creators won't just produce more content, they'll design systems that amplify a unique, human point of view.
digiday.com/media/the-state-…
When AI can generate anything, audiences question everything.
That comes with a hidden cost on our attention... a "trust tax."
And the solution isn't more content. It's clearer signals of credibility.
cnbc.com/2026/04/27/ai-legis…
People are tired of seeing the same ads over and over again.
When we sense someone is trying to control our attention, we disengage to regain control.
In a saturated media landscape, attention isn't captured with repetition, it's earned through trust.
omc.com/newsroom/omnicom-med…
"If everyone is using the same models, trained on the same data, to generate ideas, what happens to originality?"
AI doesn't scale ideas, it scales consensus.
When everyone has access to the same information, perspective becomes the differentiator.
fastcompany.com/91530169/ai-…
When AI makes it easy to produce more, it becomes harder to ask: is this actually changing behavior?
In a world where machines optimize for predictability and humans respond to distinction, the advantage goes to those who can design for both.
buff.ly/xEmJ9re
What gets measured gets optimized.
But what gets measured easily gets overvalued.
Marketing attribution has long been flawed, because it confuses correlation with causation.
The answer isn't more measurement. It's more critical thinking.
buff.ly/5o9f6TR
Trust isn't built when things go well.
It's earned when things go wrong - and leaders show up honestly.
So, say the hard thing, early and clearly.
What do you know? What don't you know? When will you know more?
buff.ly/hXhSmfU
There's a pattern behind declining trust in #highereducation:
The broader the purpose, the weaker the perception.
When institutions try to be all things to all people, they become nothing to anyone.
To align expectations, be precise about your role.
nytimes.com/2026/04/15/us/ya…
People use AI, but they trust people.
Brands should not mistake convenience for connection.
Lead with humans. Rely on AI to scale.
vogue.com/article/you-cannot…
We often think trust is built by confidence.
But it's more often built by collaboration.
People don't trust leaders who "have all the answers."
They trust leaders who make them part of the conversation.
Persuasion = Participation
forbes.com/sites/worldeconom…
Polarization is not a "knowledge" problem. It's an experience problem.
People don't understand how to disagree productively, because we rarely teach them.
If we want better dialogue, we have to promote agency, not just instruction.
time.com/article/2026/04/17/…
A quarter of Americans are using AI for health advice. Yet, only 4% "strongly trust its accuracy."
When people struggle to access support, they don't wait, they search.
The problem isn't trust in AI. It's distrust in the system.
news.gallup.com/poll/707789/…
"Democrats still haven’t grasped what travels online and why."
Information doesn't spread because it's important.
It spreads because it's interesting.
And if you can't be heard, it doesn't matter what you say.
washingtonpost.com/opinions/…
